Other People's Crap, Part Two

You can all relax now; the hiatus is over. I'm back with more cuh-ray-zay pics of cooking and sewing books purchased from a sweet old dead couple. Or maybe they weren't sweet. Maybe they were assholes, in which case...good riddance.

Now. Where was I?

Check out this one, The Merrie Christmas Cook Book, published in 1955. A very good year. How gorgeous is the artwork on that cover? I wonder when "cookbook" started being spelled as one word. And when "merrie" changed to "merry." Hmmm. (Could one of you dearies check that for me please?) Anyway, back to the cover:

Gorge, no? The book is quite brief, but it really has presence. Check out these chapter titles and tell me if you could resist such charm:

Holiday Canapes

Festive Entrees

Vegetables & Salads (okay, not exciting, so shoot me)

And the next two are such awesome chapter titles, you simply must see their page headings:

PARTY CASSEROLES! "My, this casserole certainly is delicious!"

"That's because it's not just any old casserole--it's a party casserole, bitch!"

And...

GLAMOR DESSERTS! Could you die?!?!

"Would you commoners care to join us in the study for some coffee and glamor desserts?"

Of course, true to Betty Crocker form, there are also charming little nuggets and illustrations everywhere, including this one:

"A glistening white Christmas
With snow on the trees,
Makes appetites hearty
And easy to please!"

Right above the recipe for Sardines and Cream Cheese...mmmmmm...

Annnnnnnd...I told you that ol' girl had a ton of sewing stuff. Judging by the stuff she had, it looked as if she had been professionally trained, as opposed to being self-taught.

Check out The New Encyclopedia of Modern Sewing, published in 1949.

One of the things I really love about sewing (and cooking falls into this category, too, although it's been abominated by the cult of celebrity) is that it's just so gosh darn practical. The idea of something homemade or repaired by hand may even be embarassing to some people nowadays--will people think they can't afford to just go buy something? The horror! Sadly, I don't think this statement from the preface holds true anymore: "Every woman who sews has experienced the glow of pleasure, the pride of accomplishment with which she says, 'I made it myself,' when somebody compliments her on her dress or the slipcovers in her living room."

Anyway, the book is--of course--filled with photographs and charming illustrations. Witness this adorable page from the adorably titled chapter "Stork Set":

Look at that sexy, squinty-eyed baby! This book is so old, I bet that's Clint Eastwood!
Anyway, figured you may enjoy having a look at some more of my dead people purchases.